County leaders approve homes in canyon project

Oct. 3, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

1 of 3

Rich Gomez and Gloria Sefton of the Saddleback Canyons Conservancy are shown at the site along Santiago Canyon Road just north of Cook's Corner, where Saddle Crest, a 65-home development, is planned. The Orange County Planning Commission approved a change master planning documents for the canyon areas that will open the way for the development. LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 3

The rolling hills along Santiago Canyon Road just north of Cook's Corner, is the site where Saddle Crest, a 65-home development, is planned. LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 3

Horses graze on the hills near the site along Santiago Canyon Road, just north of Cook's Corner, where Saddle Crest, a 65-home development, is planned. Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition to stop the development in the canyon. Signatures have come from across the county and many people outside the canyons area. LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Rich Gomez and Gloria Sefton of the Saddleback Canyons Conservancy are shown at the site along Santiago Canyon Road just north of Cook's Corner, where Saddle Crest, a 65-home development, is planned. The Orange County Planning Commission approved a change master planning documents for the canyon areas that will open the way for the development.LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

SANTA ANA – In a unanimous vote, the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a 65-home development that activists have opposed because it requires amendments to the area's general plan and the Foothill Trabuco Specific Plan.

Those changes, they said, would impact the area's rural character, traffic and wildlife. They also cautioned that it would open opportunities to other developers to develop more homes in the canyons. To underline their concerns they presented a petition to the board with more than 2,000 names from residents in the canyons and throughout the county who opposed the development.

After three hours – including at least two hours of public comments from more than 25 canyon residents – the board decided that amendments being proposed to the area plans are appropriate, fair and timely. The board voted to adopt an ordinance to amend the Foothill-Trabuco Specific Plan, verified the final environmental impact report and planning application for the Saddle Crest Home project, and amended the area plan.

"More than 20 years have passed," said 3rd District Supervisor Bill Campbell, who oversees the canyons area. "Is the plan fair? Does it reflect changes in science? There will be 50 acres of contiguous open space. ... The project will not physically interrupt the established communities of Modjeska Canyon and Trabuco Canyon, and there will be a heavily landscaped buffer between (the development) and Santiago Canyon Road."

Campbell added that the amendments, which include removing the requirement of "rural" in character from the Foothill-Trabuco Specific Plan, would only apply to three other parcels in the immediate area of the proposed Saddle Crest development. If those properties were to be developed, they would each have to go through a stringent review process.

"I think they did their homework and read through a body of work produced in support of the applicant," Dave Eadie, CEO of Rutter Development, said, following the board's vote. "Supervisor Campbell explained the fact that there are beneficial aspects to everything we've done."

Eadie has pushed to get the development through for nearly a decade.

On Tuesday he defended the rural nature of the development, pointing to large lot sizes that would allow for garage spaces to keep community roads free of clutter. He spoke about plans for a wildlife corridor running through open space where animals could travel between the Cleveland National Forest and Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. He cited letters of support from fire agencies and from the state Department of Fish & Game.

The currently-proposed Saddle Crest 65-home development is part of an original 162-home development approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2003. At that time, Rutter planned to develop a 304-acre Saddle Crest North and an 836-acre Saddle Crest South.

A coalition of conservationist groups, such as the Endangered Habitats League, the Sierra Club, Sea & Sage Audubon, the California Oak Foundation, the California Native Plant Society and the Rural Canyons Conservation Fund, at that time opposed the development and filed a lawsuit with the state court of appeal in 2005.

The court threw out the development. The Saddle Creek North land was transferred into a conservation fund in 2008 and the Saddle Crest South land was transferred to the Orange County Transportation Authority for conservation purposes under the freeway mitigation program in 2011.

Rich Gomez, co-founder of the Saddleback Canyons Conservancy, said he was surprised by the board's 5-0 vote, citing comments from Supervisors Patricia Bates, John Moorlach and Shawn Nelson.

"I thought they would have taken time to get additional information," Gomez said. "It failed the test of reasonableness and didn't address what would happen in the future."

Canyon conservationists opposed the project and have questioned the commission's changes to the general plan and the Foothill-Trabuco Specific Plan.

They say the approval not only affects the Saddle Crest project but the entire area, including east Orange, Coto de Caza and Silverado-Modjeska. It will allow for the removal of 151 healthy oak trees and have a possible lasting effect on builders targeting the area.

Related Links

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.